This week there were changes in athletic admissions at Stanford, important policy announcements from the Supreme Court and the Education Department, and big donation news from Mackenzie Scott.
Stanford University announced a three-year pilot program that would allow athletes, primarily football players, to enroll before other first-year students. Why the change? It helps Stanford compete with places like the University of Southern California and Notre Dame, which already have early-enrollment policies in place.
The Supreme Court announced that it would be postponing action on the case against Harvard’s affirmative action policies. The case has been moving through the court system since 2014. In the meantime, Harvard has announced that it will continue to use affirmative action policies.
The U.S. Education Department determined that Title IX protects the rights of transgender students. The decision effectively reverses Trump-era policy and is a barrier to policies in many states that aim to bar transgender girls from school sports. The department said discrimination based on a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity will be treated as a violation of Title IX.
Mackenzie Scott announced that she has given over $2.73 billion to colleges that are broadening access to education for underrepresented students and for college advocacy organizations. The funds were unsolicited and are unrestricted and will be transformative for most recipients.
Wondering how the pandemic changed admissions at highly selective colleges this year and how it will impact admissions going forward? Check out our webinar with admissions deans from Stanford and Barnard here.
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